This invention relates generally to handles.
Handles have been positioned adjacent steps and along walkways for gripping by and assistance to a person moving therealong. For instance, recreational vehicles and boats have often included such handles. For example, such a handle is often located near a door of a recreational vehicle on the outside wall to aid a person stepping up into, or down from such a vehicle. In addition, such a handle may be located near the cockpit-to-cabin steps and/or along walkways in a boat to steady a person against boat movement in a seaway.
However, it is sometimes difficult for a person to easily see such a handle, which can blend in to its surroundings, and/or be hidden by twilight or the darkness of night. Such a handle can be made more visible by illumination by a nearby independent light source. However, such a light source may cause extra expense for materials and installation, and, in the case of the visual incandescent fixture, electric power use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,621 of Bach, et al. (hereafter the ""621 patent) discloses a handle comprising a light transmitting rod 12 carried by end brackets. A ""621 patent disclosed bracket encloses an incandescent light bulb 14 which xe2x80x9cemits light in all directionsxe2x80x9d. Some of this light is emitted directly toward the adjacent end of the rod 12. A first curved mirror 18 behind the bulb 14 reflects a remaining portion of the light toward the adjacent end of the rod 12. A lens 16 located at the first end 11 of the rod 12 xe2x80x9creflects light in different directionsxe2x80x9d. Thus, the ""621 patent disclosed device is complicated by its requirement for a divergent lens 16, as well as a curved mirror, or reflector, 18. Absent the curved mirror 18, for example, most of the light emitted by the bulb 14 would radiate away from, rather than into, the light transmitting rod 12.
The objects and purposes of the present invention include improvement on prior art devices including the ""621 patent device above discussed.
This invention is directed to a new and useful lighted handle. The lighted handle of this invention includes a light transmitting member having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion. A first end bracket carries the first end portion and a second end bracket carries the second end portion. Positioned between the light transmitting member and the first end bracket is a narrow beam light emitter, conveniently a light emitting diode (LED).